At a conference held in Moscow in
February, messages of support were read
out from ICAO and many other bodies,
including the civil aviation authorities of
France, Germany, Scandinavia, Bulgaria and
Czechoslovakia. A continuing liaison is to
be maintained with all of these organisa
tions, with the stated aim of achieving
international harmony in technical equip
ment and operating standards.
Dr Tatiana Anodina, head of the new
agency, says it does not intend to become
the replacement of the Soviet Ministry of
Civil Aviation. The day-to-day administra
tion of domestic aviation will be left up to
the appropriate government department of
each nation which will, in turn, accept the
standards laid down by MAK.
NATIONAL REGISTERS
Each nation will maintain its own aircraft
register, although MAK will hold a "central"
record. The international prefix CCCP
(Union of Soviet Socialist Republics), still
on Aeroflot aircraft, is not expected to last
much longer. Already, most Lithuanian
aircraft are carrying LY prefixes, and some
Russian aircraft are using five-digit numbers
only. Registers will become public and are
expected to carry all the details that are
available in western registers.
While MAK will lay down the personnel,
technical and equipment standards required
for an operator, it will not, at least initially,
set any commercial or financial standards
— this will be left up to each state. Almost
all western countries have decided there is
a need for checks on financial security and
business plans before a new airline is
licensed to operate. The UK Civil Aviation
Authority, which recently tightened its fi
nancial criteria, says that there are "several
applications gathering dust" as a result of
failure to meet requirements. The licences
to the new CIS airlines were issued before
any financial controls were set up.
MAK's committee consists of a represen
tative from each of the member states; all
states have an equal voice. Anodina, who
heads the committee, is the widow of a.
former USSR Government minister, and-has
a strong background in air transport serv
ices, air traffic control (ATC) and airline
administration. She won her doctorate with
a thesis on air traffic control systems, and
has been involved heavily in the Soviet
GLONASS (global navigation satellite sys
tem) programme, which is being carried on
vigorously by the CIS.
The difficulty of constructing radio and
radar stations and navigation aids in re
mote, often inaccessible and frozen, sites,
particularly in northern Russia and Siberia,
combined with the non-availability of cen
tral funding, means that the use of a
satellite navigation system like GLONASS is
the only prospect for improvement in both
trans-continental and local navigation in the
short to medium term.
Above: Transaero is
a Moscow-based for
mer Aeroflot division
linked with the major
CIS airliner manufac
turers. Right: Aero-
likt is a private
Russian joint venture
with Aeroflot and
Lichtenstein partners
Anodina says that each operator — of
airports as well as airlines — will be
required to finance itself. Few airports in
the CIS would be profitable by western
definition, particularly at the existing rate
of charges, so development of airport ATC
standards and equipment, although neces
sary, is not likely to be rapid. Anodina can
see that remote airports serving small com
munities will not be able to pay their way
and expects that, in some circumstances,
national Government funding might be
forthcoming as an exception.
GLONASS and its US equivalent, the
global positioning system, are being ex-
SIGNATORIES TO
MAK TREATY
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belorossia
Kazakistan
Kirghizia
Moldova
Russia
Tadzhikistan
Turkmenia
Ukraine
Uzbekistan
Other countries are welcome
part of the Treaty.
RATIFIERS
Estonia
Georgia
Latvia
to ratify all or
tended, says Anodina, in a co-operative
programme with US industry. She sees this
as a good example of international co
operation, where western companies are
assisting development without seeking
short-term profits, making substantial ATC
improvements possible in the medium term.
Just now, the threat of industrial action
by ATC staff is putting considerable pres
sure on MAK, says Anodina, and this has
led to a series of meetings with staff in each
of the major ATC centres.
EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
Anodina emphasises that she is well aware
of the ATC situation in Western Europe,
and is determined that new systems enter
ing service in CIS countries will be capable
of integrating with those of neighbouring
countries. Expected traffic flow rates are
being calculated to anticipate what will be
required. She is aiming for a high level of
compatibility to be achieved "within ten
years". Her approach is to adopt ICAO
concepts on planning for inter-regional and
global systems.
Anodina says she is well aware of the
operational savings afforded to foreign car
ried permitted to fly from Europe to the
Far East over CIS territories. She observes
the overflying airlines now pay "low" en
route charges, "...often without even a need
to land at a CIS airport". She explains that
FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 8 - 14 April, 1992 21